DULUTH, Minnesota — Zebra Mussels traveling into the Great Lakes region of the United States now need a passport. No longer shall they enjoy a free ride from ship to lake. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals just ruled in favor of states’ rights to regulate ballast water — water released from ships entering the Great Lakes Basin.
Michigan and Minnesota both already limit the dumping of foreign water into the Great Lakes in an attempt to prevent invasive plants and animals carried in the water from displacing native species. And now they can legally continue. The court’s ruling falls against a shipping group that was trying to avoid the regulation through suing.
“Lake Superior is really important for our state, not just for our natural resources, but also for our economy,” Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson told Minnesota Public Radio. “And these invasive species can be very damaging to our lakes and can have an impact on both our environment as well as economic development here in Minnesota.”
Source: Minnesota Public Radio